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- Model of a Hand Pumper Fire Engine, circa 1900 - Mobile, hand-operated water pumps were first used to combat fires in the mid-17th century. Teams of firefighters pushed up and down on long bars -- called brakes -- to power the pump. This model represents a hand pumper from about 1900. Under ideal conditions, a full-sized engine like this might have pumped more than 75 gallons of water per minute.
- circa 1900
- Collections - Artifact
Model of a Hand Pumper Fire Engine, circa 1900
Mobile, hand-operated water pumps were first used to combat fires in the mid-17th century. Teams of firefighters pushed up and down on long bars -- called brakes -- to power the pump. This model represents a hand pumper from about 1900. Under ideal conditions, a full-sized engine like this might have pumped more than 75 gallons of water per minute.
- Hunneman Hand-drawn Fire Pumper, 1836 - Hunneman & Company, founded in Boston in 1792, was known for the high quality of its hand-pumped fire equipment, like this example. When in use, the long bars -- called brakes -- were placed on the ends of the pumper. Teams of firefighters pushed them up and down to pump water. This pumper originally served the town of Orono, Maine.
- 1836
- Collections - Artifact
Hunneman Hand-drawn Fire Pumper, 1836
Hunneman & Company, founded in Boston in 1792, was known for the high quality of its hand-pumped fire equipment, like this example. When in use, the long bars -- called brakes -- were placed on the ends of the pumper. Teams of firefighters pushed them up and down to pump water. This pumper originally served the town of Orono, Maine.
- Toy Hand Pumper Fire Engine, 1850-1870 -
- 1850-1870
- Collections - Artifact
Toy Hand Pumper Fire Engine, 1850-1870